(no subject)

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: Jan 12th to Jan 19th (real time), July 11th to July 18th (historical time), 1884
Location: Black Rock, New Mexico, USA
Characters: All transports
Summary: Fearing UE reprisal, the Initiative corrals all transports and shoos them onto a mission back to the Wild West, to vote Gerald "Moony" Jackson in as Mayor of Black Rock. Transports are encouraged to used all their wiles to encourage townsfolk to vote in favor of him, too. Other than that, they're free to roam as they will for 7 whole days! Good luck finding food and shelter, masses. (See the OOC post for more information.)

The Initiative had been terse and rushed as they gathered the transports into the Transporter room, and anyone unwilling to participate will have been forcibly hurried along. The Initiative employees had seemed distracted and worried, and unwilling to stand around and debate. It was time to move. The teleportation had gone off without a hitch, and a roomful of transports have been treated, quite suddenly, to a broad and sunny blue sky, and especially to the heat of mid July in the American West.

Enjoy your weeklong stay in Black Rock, New Mexico! The town is small and sleepy, with just 3 good saloons and one questionable (but considerably cheaper) one. There are a few inns, but these inns aren't quite prepared to room a sudden influx of over 300 travelers, and some people might have to bunk up or get creative with their sleeping arrangements. If you sleep in an inn at all, of course. There's plenty of unexplored wilderness out there to sleep in instead, isn't there? Just make sure to check your boots for scorpions in the morning.

The only instructions are "vote for Gerald "Moony" Jackson for Mayor, and try to convince others to do the same", and you've been given just enough money to cover a very sparse room and board for 7 days, if you don't spend it in anything else.

So, how do you spend your time?

Edit: Overflow log!

Comments

for caesar

[whatsupcroc]

( Collette shifted her weight to one side, letting a hind hoof cock up as she twisted her neck back around to Caesar again. )

< Let me get this straight. Are you planning on buying a saddle at the end of this, or figuring out which one fits and then coming back to steal it later? >

( She feels it's a pertinent question, and besides, the man who seemed in charge of the saddles made here in Black Rock -- or at least of selling them -- was watching both of them with distrust. )

[commentboxtroll]

...horses aren't supposed to talk, you know.

[ As much as the man eyed them with distrust, Caesar had to wonder if it wasn't in part because he had to keep talking to 'his' horse in a whisper like some kind of weirdo. Either that or how slow and unsure Caesar was about getting the damn thing on her. He probably thought they were going to damage it.

He checked the straps again to make sure they were on right. ]

How's that? [ Though having a talking horse at least makes some part of this easier, he'll give her that much. ] And it depends. If I used all the money they gave me, maybe I could...

[whatsupcroc]

( She snorted, flicking her tail at the flies trying to gather again. Collette was quickly becoming disenchanted with flies. I should probably demorph and acquire one, though. All the main guys had a fly morph back home, didn't they? )

< The horses might not be supposed to, but most the men have been talking to their horses. You should tighten the cinch-thing a little more. Or ask the seller for pointers. >

( Collette didn't know how tight it was supposed to be, but she still felt like it'd slip right around under her chest as it was now.

When it came to money, on another hoof, she breathed in deep and sighed. )

< We could go halvsies! Then we still each have half of what we were given before coming here on hand. >

[commentboxtroll]

I can figure it out...

[ He's not going to ask that guy for tips. He looks gross and unbathed! But he does as Collette suggests, fiddling with the cinch so it's tighter. Maybe too tight once he's done, though. ]

We could do that, but then I doubt either of us could afford room and board for the whole time we're stuck here.

[whatsupcroc]

< Oof! >

( Her ears lay flat against her head. )

< What is it with guys and asking for directions... >

( Her tone is teasing, for all that it's also mental. It's hard to convey how those subtleties are there, but she does her best. Collette considers what else he's saying. )

< Why don't we try camping out? There's bound to be half-way decent caves around here. I'm not even sure they've got continental breakfasts around here, so we're not going to miss out on much we wouldn't have already meals-wise. >

( One detail out of a litany that are actually involved. )

[commentboxtroll]

Oof? Oof what?

[ He eyes her warily. Camping, again? ]

Well, I did bring the same pack I had when we went camping before. It still has some of those supplies in it.

[whatsupcroc]

< Oof you tightened the cinch? >

( She looks back at him again, nipping at whatever of his shirt she can grab. It's all an effort tug tug and share excitement past the perking of her ears up and forward, eyes widening just shy of showing the whites. )

< See! We're halfway set already! What do we still need? >

[commentboxtroll]

[ Whoa, whoa, that's his shirt! He lets go of the cinch when she tugs on his shirt, reaching up to try and free that from her horsey teeth instead. ]

Hey, stop that. [ Shiiiiirt. 8| ] Probably just water and food, maybe another blanket or two, since I don't know if you brought one or anything at all.

[whatsupcroc]

< I've got a lap blanket. >

( They had her keep that when they kicked her out of her chair for the transfer. She lets go of his shirt, just pleased in general at how amusing his reactions are. It's nice having someone's attention, even if it's just in irritation. )

< Which isn't much of a blanket if we're talking desert cold nighttime temperatures. >

[commentboxtroll]

Then yeah, we need more blankets. I only have enough for myself.

[ Ugh, ugh, horse spit on his shirt. He'll just... let that dry, instead of trying to wipe it off, since then it'd be on his hand! ]

[whatsupcroc]

< Something with down is probably best. >

( Lacking fleece or any of the really awesome heat-keeping technology they have even in her day. She takes a step forward, shaking her head and neck. The saddle doesn't go anywhere, though she's not sure how it's supposed to feel on her back. There's a pressure that she doesn't mind so much, and the blanket shifts as she moves. )

< Can you get up there? Tell the guy you need to check for how it holds. If this thing feels weird, we're trying another one. >

( And she groaned, though that was kept to her own mind. )

< Make sure to get a bit-less bridle, okay? I'm not comping on metal for the sake of appearances. I've got a delicate mouth! >

[commentboxtroll]

I'm beginning to feel like some kind of servant here, with how much shopping I have to do for you...

[ He would have to go see what he could get in the way of blankets, but later, obviously. ]

Stay.

[ He tells Collette, along with a pat on the side of the face. Look, it's a little to easy to forget that's actually, uh, a human, but at least it's better than just leaving a horse standing there without a word. He goes over to talk with the seller for a little bit and, when he comes back, the man is with him.

Considering he assumes the kid will run off with the merchandise given a chance, he's going to keep a hold of something until Caesar's done seeing how the saddle sits. It's not a trial of errors, at least, since he manages to get up into the saddle without much blunder and check the straps from the top. ]

...seems fine to me. Hmm. Do you keep bitless bridles at all? [ He asks the seller. ] I don't want to resort to rope if I don't have to.

[whatsupcroc]

( She turns her head to stare after him after the "Stay" and face-pat. Her snort as he walks away is a very horsey sound, if her eye roll is anything but.

She concentrates on scratching her nose against her knee while they talk, perking up again when they're both coming back. )

Bitless? Your mare's trained to neck reining?

( He didn't sound convinced, but he only had to be partly convinced. )

< What's neck reining? >

( She lets the seller tug her head around and lead them into a walk, deciding it's better to go along for now. It's a slow walking circuit around the side yard, up to a pen with a dun mare watching them with open curiosity, then back around to the front. )

< Your weight seems to be sitting fine. Nothing's feeling weirder than the fact I've got a saddle on at all on this end! >

How's it feeling for you?

[commentboxtroll]

[ Well, horses are just like dogs, aren't they? ]

Yes, she is. [ Caesar answers the seller without any hesitation or doubt. It'd be pointless for him to try and mislead them, so that must be a thing, whatever it is. ] Grandfather trained her that way.

[ An easily added lie, since it's obvious he doesn't think Caesar is any sort of horse trainer. He certainly isn't about to pretend he is! ]

Everything seems to be sitting just fine. [ May as well repeat what Collette is saying, as well, since that was a fine enough answer, too. ] This one should do the trick.

[ That said, he swings himself back down out of the saddle! Or, uh, he tries. His boot catches in the stirrup and down he goes into the dirt instead, to the great amusement of the seller and anyone else around who's watching! Welp, looks like that's going to take some practice after all. ]

[whatsupcroc]

( The seller seems startled at the horse's reaction to Caesar face-planting in the dirt. He can almost swear it's like the horse is laughing!

Caesar shouldn't have a doubt that's exactly what Collette is doing. She whinnies looking back his way, ears pointing forward in good humor. )

< You okay there stud? >

( She held still to make it slightly easier for him in regaining some sense of pride, if he had any related to his horsemanship skills.

Still, it sounds like this assures the man of his sale. He has the right sort of bridle tucked away inside the barn, stating after Caesar's told his mare to sit and wait, they can get down to the bargaining. )

[commentboxtroll]

[ Caesar mutters something akin to how he's fine, even though no one, to everyone else's ears, asked him. It is embarrassing to take a fall like that in front of strangers, but not something he can't take in stride. These people don't really matter, so why should he care what they think of him?

He's back up on his feet soon enough and, finally, they reach the part where he's actually not useless. They leave Collette behind to go see what else he might get added to the deal. She'll find herself left to her own devices for some time, since, of course, he's working on haggling down the price.

Overall, if he knew more about horse kit and all, he's sure he could've gotten them it for much cheaper, but he doesn't do all that bad. Eventually they return, the bridle as well as a horse blanket and a very simple set of saddlebags that he's gotten the seller to throw in. He's already used his own money from the Initiative to pay it all off, but that's simpler than having to juggle two sets of money in front of a stranger. It would've looked a bit off! So all that's left is to shake hands and the seller heads off about his business again, leaving Caesar to hang up the saddlebags and fold the blanket, stowing it away in, usefully enough, a saddlebag! ]

There. That should do it.

[whatsupcroc]

( continued here )